The present invention relates generally to a remotely controlled attenuator and more particularly to a switch which enables a user to remotely control a light or other electrical system using a conventional remote control.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that people are getting lazier and lazier all of the time. It will further be appreciated by those skilled in the art that infrared remotes are commonly used to control household appliances such as televisions, stereos, VCRs, and the like.
Attempts to remotely control a light or other electrical device are disclosed in patents such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,935,733; 4,712,105; and 5,099,193. Unfortunately, these patents suffer from common problems. Initially, the remotely controlled switches turn a light switch or other electrical device from "off" to various shades of brightness to "on." If the same button is switched again, an additional brighter step will be used. These devices are also subject to scatter from other infrared remote controls.
What is needed, then, is a system that can gradually dim a light or other electrical system. This needed system must also be capable of immediately turning the light switch or electrical system off if desired. This needed system must be capable to learning an off signal so that an otherwise unused portion of remote control can be used to prevent scatter. This system must be economical to manufacture. This system is presently lacking in the prior art.